Overview
Automations let you build workflows that run on their own when something happens in Broki — for example, a mortgage file changes stage, a document is uploaded, or a closing date is coming up — and then create tasks, send emails, add notes, reassign files, or move files to a new stage. Each workflow starts with a trigger followed by actions, with optional waits and IF / WHEN conditions in between.
Also called: workflows.
Workflows are active as soon as you save them, and Send Email steps send without review unless you turn on Require approval before sending. Build and check every step before you save, or turn Active off while you test.
At a glance
A workflow starts from a trigger and then runs the actions you added.
Send Email sends from the file or contact owner as soon as the step runs, unless Require approval before sending is on. Those emails wait on the Dashboard under Communications requiring approval.
Create Task, Create Note, Assign to User, and Update Pipeline Stage take effect immediately. There is no draft.
New workflows are Active when you save them. Turn Active off first if you are not ready for them to run.
Turning a workflow off or deleting it cancels scheduled sends, delayed steps, and emails waiting to send or for approval. Cancelled emails are not restored.
Before you begin
You need permission to manage automations, plus templates and stages, before a workflow can send email or move a file.
Your role needs the Manage Automations or Manage Workflows permission (Settings > Roles & Permissions). Without either, you'll see "You don't have permission to manage automations or workflows." Creating, editing, turning on or off, and deleting workflows needs Manage Automations.
For Send Email steps, create the email template first in Templates. Email steps send a template; you can't type a one-off email in the workflow.
For Create Task steps, you can optionally create task templates under Templates > Tasks.
Have your pipeline stages and lead stages set up, since stage triggers and actions use them.
Step-by-step instructions
These steps create a workflow, choose a trigger and actions, then turn it on, off, or delete it.
Create a workflow
Creating a workflow adds a name, a trigger, and at least one action, then saves it.
In the left sidebar, select Automations.
Select Create workflow.
In Workflow settings, enter a Workflow name and, optionally, a Description.
Decide on Active. It's on by default ("Workflow is running"). Turn it off ("Workflow is paused") if you want to save without running yet.
From the Step library on the right, select + on a trigger. Triggers go to the start of the flow.
Add actions, delays, and conditions. They're added to the end; drag the grip on a step to reorder.
Select each step to fill in its settings (see the lists below).
Optional: select Preview to review the flow.
Select Save workflow. You'll see "Workflow saved successfully!".
Before you continue: If Active is on, the workflow starts running as soon as it's saved. Any Send Email step without Require approval before sending emails clients or teammates automatically.
Choose a trigger
A trigger is the event that starts the workflow. Every workflow needs at least one.
This table lists each trigger, when it runs, and the filters you can set.
Trigger | When it runs | Filters |
New Mortgage File Created | A mortgage file is created | File Type Filter, Advisor Filter |
Pipeline Stage Changed | A file moves between pipeline stages | From Stage, To Stage |
Lead Stage Changed | A contact moves between Lead Pipeline stages | From Stage, To Stage |
Document Uploaded | Documents are uploaded to a file | Document Type Filter, Required Document Count |
Task Completed | A task is marked complete | Specific Task Type, Task Title Contains |
Note Added to File | A note is added to a file | Note Contains Keywords, Added By |
Contact Birthday | Around a contact's date of birth | Days Offset |
Partner Added | A partner is added | Partner Category |
Closing Date | Days before or after a file's closing date | Days Offset |
Subject to Financing | Days before or after the subject-to-financing date | Days Offset |
Maturity Date | Days before or after the mortgage maturity date | Days Offset |
Booking created | A client books through a booking calendar | None |
Days Offset runs from -365 to 365: negative is before the date, 0 is on the date, positive is after.
Choose an action
An action is what the workflow does after the trigger. These are the actions the step library offers.
Create Task — pick a Task template or Custom (enter manually), then set Task Title, Task Description, Assign To (File Owner, By role on file, Specific Team Member, or Contact Owner / Partner Owner for contact and partner triggers), Priority, and Due Date (Same day or Days from creation).
Assign to User — reassign the mortgage file to a Specific Team Member, the File Owner, a By role on file teammate, or Round Robin Assignment, with an optional note.
Update Pipeline Stage — move the file to the New Stage.
Create Note — add a note with a title and content, marked Internal Only or Client Visible.
Send Email — sends from the file or contact owner. Choose an Email Template, Send To (for file triggers: Client, All Borrowers, File Owner, Role on file, or Specific Team Member), optionally Append signature, and optionally Require approval before sending. Approval-required emails wait in Communications requiring approval on the Dashboard, where you can Approve, Edit, or Reject them.
Add a delay or an IF / WHEN condition
A delay pauses the workflow, and an IF / WHEN condition decides whether it continues.
Wait / Delay — pause for a number of Minutes, Hours, Days, or Weeks. Under Execute When, choose Immediate (after delay), Next Business Hours (Mon–Fri 9AM–5PM), or Specific Time of Day.
IF / WHEN condition — check Pipeline Stage, Mortgage Amount ($), Advisor Assigned, All Documents Complete, Days Since Created, or Contact Tag, then choose what happens under If Condition is TRUE and If Condition is FALSE (Continue to next step, Skip next step, or Stop workflow). If Condition is FALSE defaults to Stop workflow.
Turn a workflow on, off, or delete it
The Automations list is where you search workflows and turn them on, off, or delete them.
In Automations, use Search workflows... and the All / Active / Inactive filter.
Use the switch on a row to turn a workflow on or off. You'll see "Workflow activated successfully" or "Workflow deactivated successfully".
Select View (eye) to see a workflow, or Edit (pencil) to change it.
Select Delete (trash) and confirm to remove it permanently.
Before you continue: Turning a workflow off cancels its scheduled sends, delayed steps, emails waiting to send, and emails waiting for approval — the confirmation lists how many. Cancelled emails aren't restored when you turn it back on; future date-based sends are rebuilt from current data. Deleting a workflow removes its steps and its analytics and can't be undone. Turn it off instead if you might need it again.
Review analytics and the live monitor
Analytics and Live Monitor show whether your workflows are running.
Analytics — performance stats for your workflows.
Live Monitor — realtime executions as they run.
Each row in Automations also shows its run count and when it last ran.
Practical examples and other ways to use it
These examples are starting points for a welcome email, a task, a renewal, a birthday, and a delayed review.
Welcome a new file. New Mortgage File Created → Send Email to Client using your welcome template, with Require approval before sending on for the first few weeks.
Condition follow-up. Pipeline Stage Changed (To Stage: your approval stage) → Create Task "Collect conditions from Alex Sample" assigned to the File Owner, due in 2 days.
Renewal outreach. Maturity Date with Days Offset -120 → Create Task for the file owner to start the renewal conversation.
Birthday note. Contact Birthday with Days Offset 0 → Send Email to Birthday Contact.
Business-hours follow-up. Document Uploaded → Wait / Delay 1 hour with Next Business Hours → Create Task to review the documents.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
These mistakes start a half-built workflow, email on every stage change, or turn a workflow off because a template is gone.
Saving a half-built workflow while Active is on. It starts running immediately and may email clients. Turn Active off until every step is checked.
Leaving stage filters empty. A Pipeline Stage Changed trigger with no From Stage or To Stage runs on every stage change. Set at least To Stage.
Deleting a workflow to pause it. Deleting is permanent. Use the row switch.
Deleting an email template a workflow uses. The workflow is turned off automatically. Pick another template in the email step, then turn it back on.
Expecting every action on every trigger. Contact Birthday, Partner Added, and Lead Stage Changed only support Create Task and Send Email; Booking created only supports Send Email to a Specific Team Member. IF / WHEN conditions aren't available for these triggers.
Troubleshooting
Use these checks when a workflow won't save, turns itself off, doesn't run, or an email doesn't go out.
"At least one trigger is required" or "At least one action is required"
These messages mean the workflow has no trigger, or it has a trigger and delays but no action.
Possible causes
The workflow has no trigger, or only a trigger and delays.
To fix
Add a trigger from Triggers in the Step library.
Add at least one action, such as Create Task or Send Email.
Select Save workflow.
A step shows an error when I save
A save error names the step number when a required setting on that step is missing.
Errors start with the step number, for example "Step 3 … Please select a team member for specific task assignment".
Possible causes
A required setting is missing, such as Task Title, a team member for Specific Team Member, a role for By role on file, a target stage, or the email template.
"Email template reference is invalid - choose the template again" means the template was removed or changed.
To fix
Open the numbered step and complete the missing setting.
For email steps, choose the template again.
The workflow shows "Turned off automatically"
"Turned off automatically" means Broki paused the workflow because a template, the subscription, or the owner is no longer valid.
Possible causes
"the email template … was deleted" — an email step's template no longer exists.
"because the subscription ended" — billing lapsed.
"because its owner is no longer an active team member".
To fix
Fix the cause shown under the workflow name (choose another template, restore billing, or recreate the workflow under an active user).
Turn the workflow back on with the row switch.
Confirm it worked
The row shows Active.
A workflow didn't run
A workflow that didn't run is usually inactive, filtered out, missing a date, or stopped by a condition.
Check first
The workflow is Active.
The trigger filters match (stage names, document type, keywords).
For date triggers, the file or contact has the date filled in (closing date, subject-to-financing date, maturity date, or date of birth).
An IF / WHEN condition didn't stop it — If Condition is FALSE defaults to Stop workflow.
To fix
Open Live Monitor and repeat the event.
Adjust the filters or condition and save.
Contact support if
The trigger clearly matched and nothing appears in Live Monitor. Include the workflow name, the file's loan code, what you did, and the approximate time.
An email didn't go out
An email that didn't go out is often waiting for approval, or the recipient or template is incomplete.
Possible causes
Require approval before sending is on, so it's waiting for approval.
The recipient has no email address, or the template has no content.
To fix
On the Dashboard, check Communications requiring approval and select Approve (or Edit first).
Add the missing email address or fix the template.
Tips and best practices
These habits keep client emails reviewable and easier to find later in Live Monitor.
Turn on Require approval before sending for every client-facing email until you trust the workflow.
Name workflows by trigger and outcome, for example "Approved → collect conditions task".
Prefer Create Task over Send Email when the message needs a personal touch.
Use Next Business Hours on delays so clients aren't emailed at night.
Check Live Monitor after building a new workflow and moving a test file through it.
Limitations and important behavior
These limits cover SMS, manual runs, templates, and what happens to pending work.
Send SMS isn't available yet.
Each workflow runs from its trigger; you can't manually run a workflow on a single file.
Email steps always use a saved email template and send from the file or contact owner.
Workflows are shared across your company; anyone with Manage Automations can edit them.
Turning a workflow off or deleting it cancels its pending work, including emails waiting for approval. Cancelled emails aren't restored.
Frequently asked questions
These questions are about emails that send on their own, testing, and ready-made workflows.
Why did this email send by itself? Send Email steps send as soon as the step runs unless Require approval before sending is turned on for that step. Create Task, Create Note, Assign to User, and Update Pipeline Stage also take effect immediately.
How do I test a workflow without emailing my clients? Use a test file with your own email address as the client, or turn on Require approval before sending and select Reject on the emails in Communications requiring approval on the Dashboard.
Are there ready-made automations I can turn on? Not yet. Build your own from the triggers and actions above.
Related articles
These articles cover templates, stages, Task Hub, and permissions you use with a workflow.